Where do the good ideas come from?In this column, we offer our readers the opportunity to learn about—and benefit from—some of the cutting-edge technologies being implemented by law enforcement colleagues around the world.

Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Launches Smartphone App

Sheriff Shaun Golden wants residents of Monmouth County to have emergency notifications and public safety information at their fingertips, through the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Application (app) for smartphones. The app is designed for Android and iOS platforms and can be downloaded for free.

The recently released app provides instant access to sheriff’s office–related information, which includes real-time emergency notifications through its integrated push notification system that automatically displays the message on the phone. Users are able to be instantly alerted to weather, or other emergency-related situations, from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and the agency’s Office of Emergency Management. The app also provides social media links, contact information, local weather, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office news and events calendar, as well as “Text Ur Tip,” the Monmouth County Correctional Institution’s Inmate Search, Amber Alerts, OEM information, 511 Traffic updates, and Sheriff’s Foreclosure sales. In addition, the app features the top ten most wanted fugitives in Monmouth County.

“The top priority of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office is to protect and serve those who live and work in this great county in an effective and efficient manner,” said Sheriff Golden. “It can be challenging during emergency situations to provide consistent, official messages to a large group of residents. In addition to social media and our website, this app is another tool we can utilize to keep the public informed.”

The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office App is available for free for all Android smartphones and Apple iPhones and iPods. The app can be found in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store by searching for Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office. The app was developed by the technology firm OCV, LLC.

SST, Inc. presents ShotSpotter SiteSecure, an indoor gunfire detection, location, and alert system that detects and locates gunfire and automatically alerts first responders within seconds. ShotSpotter SiteSecure integrates existing or new outdoor installations of the industry-leading ShotSpotter gunfire location and alert solutions to provide a complete indoor/outdoor “bubble” of protection around any facility.

Lessons learned from mass shooting incidents such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, DC Navy Yard, and Sandy Hook prove that every second matters to first responders in mitigating the destructive consequences of an active shooter. Earlier, more reliable, more accurate, and real-time situational intelligence can make a critical difference in both officer safety and to those in harm’s way.

“Every minute counts in an active shooter situation and technologies like ShotSpotter SiteSecure would assist first responders in each of these horrific events. First responders want to ensure that not a moment is lost when it comes to notification to law enforcement,” said Sheriff Gregory Ahern of Alameda County, California.

ShotSpotter SiteSecure provides detailed floor plans of the targeted facility and graphics that precisely locate in which rooms shots have been fired, how many rounds have been fired, and what, if any, room-by-room sequence of movement is evident. Intelligence that specifies the number of rounds fired, the suspected path of the gunman, and the most probable location of the active shooter has never before been reliably available, and it can be a game changer for first responders dealing with an incident.

“We can all take steps to make schools safer for our children,” said Ann M. Harkins, president and chief executive officer, National Crime Prevention Council. “Education, training, and early identification of issues such as bullying and mental illness are key not only to preventing tragedies like Columbine and Sandy Hook, but also to ensuring that children feel safe in their classrooms and on campus. NCPC is passionate about school safety, and by working together through innovative solutions like SST SiteSecure and other hardware technologies, we can safeguard our children.”

Wake Forest University recently purchased Catalyst Communications Technologies’ new Propulsion Dispatch Consoles, Catalyst’s state-of-the-art IP-based console system that is fully compatible with the Hytera Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) system in service at Wake Forest for University Public Safety. With the new consoles, dispatchers have immediate access to University Police and Security Officers, as well as direct connections to the UHF Facilities and Maintenance group; the 800 MHz SmartNet system used by Winston Salem Police, Fire, and EMS; and to the university’s callbox network spread throughout the campus. The consoles feature capabilities such as emergency indication, caller ID, alias ID, instant recall recording, texting to radios, enable and disable field radios, and the ability to open field radio microphones for dispatch monitoring.

“The capability of having immediate push-to-talk access to our radio users is vitally important to the operations of Wake Forest’s security personnel. With the new Catalyst Propulsion consoles, we are able to reach our own officers, as well as the local law enforcement and public safety agencies, and even tie the channels together so the field officers can speak directly to each other, even though they are on different radio systems,” said Kenneth Overholt, deputy chief of the Wake Forest University Police Department.

Added Michael Hutchins, president of Mobile Communications, “We looked at other solutions but determined that Catalyst & Propulsion provided the best set of features to get the most utility from the University’s Digital Mobile Radio system….And the ability to add the local Police, Fire, EMS, and callboxes to the consoles is just another great bonus!” ♦

From The Police Chief, vol. LXXXI, no. 2, February 2014. Copyright held by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 515 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA.

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